1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote control system and the control method thereof and, more particularly, to a remote control system for performing remote control with reference to a display screen and the control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has recently become possible to perform remote control of audio-visual apparatus such as VTR's, television receivers and compact disk players as well as various electronic apparatus such as air conditioners and lighting apparatus using a remote commander.
It is inconvenient for a use to have remote commanders to be exclusively used for respective apparatus. In order solve this, some remote commanders are provided with a learning function to store various command codes so that a single remote commander can control several kinds of electronic apparatus. For example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,887.
However, as the contents of control become diverse as a result of the improvements in the functions of apparatus, remote commanders must have more control keys. In addition, if the learning function is employed, the number of control keys required is further increased so that a plurality of apparatus can be handled. Thus, remote commanders have been provided with a number of control keys, which have resulted in a problem that operations have become difficult, instead, because of reasons such as the difficulty in finding the control keys to be pushed to perform a certain operation.
Further, one must operate control keys while looking at the remote commander in operation in order to distinguish many control keys on it. This has been inconvenient because, for example, it has been difficult to operate a remote commander without looking at it while watching a television screen instead.